RECENT MEDIA NEWS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGES (SSM) & UNIONS:

Year 2005

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As the year 2005 opens, most of the developments in same-sex marriage (SSM)
is happening in Canada:

2005-FEB-01: Canada: Federal government introduces SSM bill: The federal government introduced: "An Act respecting certain aspects
of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes." Its short title is: "The Civil Marriage Act." The text states, in part:

WHEREAS marriage is a fundamental institution in Canadian society and
the Parliament of Canada has a responsibility to support that institution
because it strengthens commitment in relationships and represents the
foundation of family life for many Canadians;

AND WHEREAS, in order to reflect values of tolerance, respect and
equality consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, access
to marriage for civil purposes should be extended by legislation to couples
of the same sex;

NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows.....Marriage, for
civil purposes, is the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all
others. It is recognized that officials of religious groups are free to
refuse to perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious
beliefs. For greater certainty, a marriage is not void or voidable by reason
only that the spouses are of the same sex.

The bill will also make minor amendments to nine other federal laws in order to give all married couples -- whether same-sex or opposite-sex --
exactly the same rights and obligations. 1,2More details

2005-FEB-04: NY: Judge decides that ban on SSM is unconstitutional:
Mary Jo Kennedy and Jo-Ann Shain a lesbian couple who have been together for 23
years, attempted to buy a marriage license in 2004-MAR. They were refused. They
and four other gay and lesbian couples sued New York City for the right to
marry. State Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan ruled for the plaintiffs. If
the case is upheld on appeal, same-sex couples will be able to marry throughout
New York State. Kennedy and Shain said they were thrilled by the ruling. They
believe that it will give them and their 15 year-old daughter increased legal
protection. Shain said: "We're just overjoyed. We didn't think it would ever
happen." Kennedy said she wants to marry Shain as soon as possible. "I
can't wait. We went to buy a (marriage) license in March 2004 and couldn't get
it. That's what started this whole thing." The city Law Department
commented: "We are reviewing the decision thoroughly and considering our
options." 3

2005-FEB-12: Canada:
Poll results announced: A poll conducted between FEB-07 and FEB-09 indicates a remarkable shift in support for SSM: 59% of Canadian adults either favor allowing SSM or don't care. 40% are opposed to SSM.

Another fascinating result is that: 50% felt that "Endorsing same-sex marriages rights would be a positive signal to the world about Canada's
values and beliefs." 42% felt the opposite; 8% did not express an opinion.

There are very strong regional, sex, and age differences among Canadian adults. More details

2005-FEB-14: MA: Appeal to overturn Supreme
Judicial Court's 2003 ruling: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
will hear an appeal -- perhaps during 2005-APR -- to reverse its 2003 ruling
which authorized same-sex marriage in the state. The appeal is based on a
clause in the state constitution that requires "all causes of marriage
are to be determined by the Legislature." Attorney Chester Darling of
Citizens for the Preservation of Constitutional Rights said "Ignoring
that mandate in the constitution four justices went ahead and radically
declared that marriage could occur between same-sex couples." Referring
to the upcoming referendum, Robert Muise of the Thomas More Law Center
said that the state should: "...stop the issuance of these marriage
licenses because in a year or two, when the vote will come to the people,
you're going to have people who were at one time married who will no longer
be married." 4

2005-FEB-22: Vatican: Pope John Paul II attacks same-sex marriage:
The pope has published a new book titled "Memory and Identity,"
dealing with the nature of good and evil. Referring to pressures on the
European Parliament to extend same-sex marriage beyond Holland and Belgium,
he wrote: "It is legitimate and necessary to ask oneself if this is not
perhaps part of a new ideology of evil, perhaps more insidious and hidden,
which attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man."
5

2005-JUN-06: Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI
attacks same-sex marriage: In a move that probably surprised noone, Pope
Benedict XVI condemned same-sex marriage as anarchic and "pseudo-matrimony."
He said that marriage is not just a "casual sociological construction"
that is subject to change. It is an institution that had its roots "in
the most profound essence of human being." 6

2005-JUN-17: Canada: Bill C-38 expected to
be voted upon: As of 2005-JUN-07, same-sex couples are able to marry in
seven out of ten Canadian provinces and one out of three Canadian
territories. Lawsuits are underway to extend this to the province of New
Brunswick and the Northwest Territory. Bill C-38, which would make same-sex
marriage a reality in the remaining provinces and territories is expected to
reach the third reading in the House of Commons. If passed, it will be sent
to the Senate who has allegedly agreed to delay its summer recess until the
bill is voted upon. More details.

2005-JUN-19: MA: Reformed Church in America
suspends minister: In 2004-JUN, Rev. Norman Kansfield, 65, officiated at
the marriage of his daughter, Ann, 29, in Massachusetts. Leaders of his
denomination, the Reformed Church in America, (RCA) voted to suspend him. He
has also been stripped of his standing as a professor of theology in the
RCA. The problem is that his daughter married a woman. The church alleges
that he intentionally acted against Bible teachings and the constitution.
7

2005-JUL-04: USA: United Church of Christ
endorses SSM: The most liberal of the major Protestant Christian
denominations in the U.S., the United Church of Christ, endorsed
same-sex marriage. The resolution at their General Synod was overwhelmingly approved by
about 80% of the delegates.
The resolution calls on its congregations to
consider wedding policies "that do not discriminate on couples based on
gender." They also ask its congregations to support changes in state
marriage legislation to give equal rights to same-sex couples. An alternative
resolution which would have defined marriage as being between one man and
one woman was rejected. Although the resolution is not binding on individual
congregations, some conservative congregations are expected to leave the
denomination because they don't want to be part of a denomination that
endorses equal marriage rights for all. 8More
details.

2005-NOV-08: TX: Constitutional amendment
passed: By about a 74% majority, Texas voters approved a constitutional
ban on same-sex marriage. Texas became the 19th state in the U.S. to pass
such an amendment.

2005-DEC-13: IA: Lawsuit by six same-sex
couples who want to marry: Six same-sex couples attempted to obtain
marriage licenses in Iowa. All were refused. With the help of Lambda Legal,
they launched a lawsuit to challenge the marriage act in the state which
restricts marriage to one man and one woman. The lawsuit has reinvigorated
support for the Iowa Marriage Amendment which is a constitutional
amendment to prevent same-sex couples from marrying in the state. It was
passed in the house during 2004, but has not yet passed the Senate.
9

2005-DEC-19: UK: Civil Partnerships become available in Northern
Ireland: Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles, a lesbian couple in Northern
Ireland, became the second same-sex couple to enter into a civil partnership
in the UK. Another couple had married earlier; they were given special
dispensation by the government because one spouse was terminally ill. By
DEC-22, an estimated 687 couples were "partnershipped." The government
estimates that 4,500 couples will be "partnered" in the first year. Information on civil partnerships and public
reaction in late 2005-DEC when
they became available in the UK.

2005-DEC-20: UK: Civil Partnership ceremonies unavailable in the
Western Isles: When same-sex couples enter into civil partnerships
throughout the UK, they go to their registry office and sign a basic
registration in the presence of two witnesses. They are then offered a
ceremony similar to that given to opposite-sex married couples. However, in
one of the UK's remotest reasons, the Western Isles, no such ceremony is
being offered. According to the Universe Catholic Newspaper: "Western
Isles Council’s policy committee has decided not to offer such ceremonies
after local registrars said they would be unwilling to carry them out."

Christian church leaders of all denominations had organized a campaign
against civil partnersips. Father Malcolm MacLellan of St Michael’s parish
on Eriskay said that: "Catholics here are loyal to the Church’s teaching
that only a man and a woman may marry. There is a danger in speaking out
against the civil partnership because you are immediately accused of being
homophobic. That is not the case." Not only is the Church opposed to
same-sex marriage, they are against recognizing same-sex relationships in
any formal way. An anonymous priest added: "The Western Isles is
not some Brigadoon backwater. It’s just that here politicians listen to the
will of the people and people oppose these so called gay marriages."

The Western Islands are also known as the Inner and Outer Hebrides. They are
located in the North Atlantic Ocean, off of western Scotland. 10